EA's NCAA Football 14 Catch-All

I cant wait. Might be one of the last games I buy on a 360.

Edit: Speaking of that, most of the Sports game folks around the interwebs are much more impressed with the PS4 versions of the sports games from their limited exposure. YMMV.

Didn't think any of this year's sports were coming on next gen.

Usually the first year version is pretty terrible, as they figure out the new system. End up losing features from the previous year sometimes even, just to get it running.

Hello, my name is Kush, and I have not played an XBox game in 84 days. With that said, I'm ready to dust off the controller and get back on the horse tonight.

There will be an NCAA14 league for XBox 360 (run by yours truly), my wife pre-ordered it for my birthday.

And oh yes, my wife is completely on board for an XBox One purchase.

SpyNavy wrote:

I cant wait. Might be one of the last games I buy on a 360.

By "one of", I hope you mean, "In addition to Saints Row 4."

The press that game is getting is saying the game is somehow BETTER than we'd hoped, which should not be possible in a Euclidian universe.

Saints Row IV trailer was epic lol

I'm ready for this game to drop. I still sneak in a game of Madden 13 from time to time.

Just read that Texas A&M is one of the six teams in the demo.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Just read that Texas A&M is one of the six teams in the demo. :hump:

How could they not be? That alone is massive marketing for EA!

So, Leroy – are you joining us again in the world of video game college football?

I'll be day one on NCAA 14.

Great to see Kush back, too.

Between, NCAA 14, NHL 14, and Batman: Arkham Origins, I'll be on the 360 for awhile.

I'm very excited for the demo, and if it's good, I'll be buying my first sports game in forever.

firesloth wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

Just read that Texas A&M is one of the six teams in the demo. :hump:

How could they not be? That alone is massive marketing for EA!

So, Leroy – are you joining us again in the world of video game college football?

Yes sir. I look forward to renewing the rivalry of the team you pick and the team I pick :p

I know it is coming out today, but it's not up yet. Wonder what the drop time is?

simpilot wrote:

I know it is coming out today, but it's not up yet. Wonder what the drop time is?

Apparently it missed the expected time on Xbox, but other demos are out. EA is trying to get both console makers to get a move on.

Not showing up on the PS3 web store yet. But I'm probably the only one looking there, as usual.

The demo is out on Xbox.

Go, go, go!

Downloading now! Still not up on the console, but activating it through the web site works.

Thanks for the heads up!

Oooohhhh. You can change the difficulty in the demo!

Downloading now. Actually getting excited for this years version!

Ah finally, up on PS3. Started the download from the web. Had been meaning to try that.

I got one quick game in with the demo. I played Oregon against A&M (I had to be different and try Oregon). The game feels very familiar if you've played NCAA 13, but it feels a lot more polished. I played on All American difficulty and lost 10-7, mostly because I eschewed a very late FG, opting to throw a goal-line INT instead with about 5 sec left on the clock. See? I told you it was like NCAA13!

A few thoughts: The defensive pass coverage is very good and mostly feels more realistic than last year's iteration. I saw no leaping LBs. I saw good zone coverage. I saw tight man-to-man. There was a lot less separation than last year (I think the A&M CBs were largely more highly rated than my WRs). However, I also saw my TE appropriately break a Cover 2 in which the safeties bit on the outside and the LB got outrun over the middle of the field. However, that was one of the only times I saw someone quite so wide open. I also scored a TD going into the half, slipping the ball between two defenders to a outside post WR.

Overall I felt like the defense was very fair. I felt like I had enough control over the ball and was able to really put some balls into tough positions. But, I also had a bunch of those attempts batted down. Good stuff.

I was a little worried about how they were going to handle the option info, but it's well done. They put a red and white 'R' flag over the player you're supposed to read. It's not too obtrusive, and will help folks who aren't used to the option.

I haven't thrown enough passes or really done enough inside running to make a judgement on the line play yet.

The NCAA games have been my most-played games of the generation, and I don't think I'm going to be disappointed by this game. I'm not sure it quite makes the leap I was expecting, but it does feel very polished. Here's hoping some of the cheesy glitchy stuff is gone compared with last year's edition. It certainly felt good in my very limited experience this afternoon.

Oh, I tried the coordinator cam. I'm going to have to get a bigger TV. The players are so small! The wide camera is in between the normal and coordinator cams. Still too small for my old-man eyes. So, bigger TV it is!

Also, when you're on defense and trying to call a play, they don't just summarize the plays as 1QB, 1 HB, 4 WR. They actually show you the numbers of the receivers/HBs/QBs that are playing. That way you know what personnel are actually in. That's a nice addition.

EDIT: Oh, and I didn't have time to look for this at home, but evidently you can adjust the game speed in the demo and may even be able to work with the sliders. If those are really true, I say Huzzah! to EA. Way to put out a demo that really lets us get a feel for the final game, even if only with 3 min quarters.

firesloth wrote:

I played Oregon against A&M

lost

Well, I did that for your benefit, Fed! I wanted to play D against Johnny. He had some nice designed runs and a few really nice scrambles. And he was tough to bring down, bowling through some smaller defenders who didn't have as much momentum!

Oh, and I completely forgot that they brought back the sprint button in this game. I was playing as if my players should have auto-sprinted (except the QB, since his run button - well trigger - is I believe the same as this year's sprint button for the rest of the positions). So, it might help me next time.

Also, that last second score before the half was very cool. It was so slick as I dove for the pylon that my son and his friend both leapt up and yelled when I scored. I don't want to come off as overly glowing about the game, because I've had only a bit of time with it, but boy that was fun.

Handled Mich 21-10 as OSU.

They did score first though, as I tried to remember how to play, since I haven't touched 13 in months. I answered, then held them to a FG. Went for it myself on 4th and 1 instead of kicking a 50 yd FG and got it. Then pushed in for a TD a few plays later to go up for good.

Tried all 3 cams, one per quarter, then stuck with coordinator for the 4th. Wide was weird. Too wide, guys were too small from that angle or something. Couldn't see running lanes. Very frustrated.

Zoom was ok for running, but weird for passing. Seemed to zoom on the ball as it was in the air or something. Never got used to it.

Coordinator felt good mostly. The higher angle makes the zoom usable still. The only problem I had was PA pass play I ran, the overhead view stuck with the RB, and never went upfield to my WR. I had to throw it blind, giving him a few seconds for when he should have made his cut. Completed the pass, but he actually had the coverage beat badly. If I had seen it, I could have led him more and completed a 60 yd TD or so. Oh well.

New engine does look good. Demo has some slowdown on PS3. When Mich was running hurry-up in the 4th, my playbook would not open until they were about to hike the ball. I only had about 1-2 seconds tops to click a play before the choice box disappeared. The first time I couldn't even choose, the box was gone already. Hopefully that is smoothed out for the full game.

EDIT: Oh yeah I liked the Read Option stuff. Ran a lot of Pistol with OSU. Braxton Miller QB #5 got player of the game, going 7-9 for 2 TDs and rushing for 30 yards or so.

firesloth wrote:

Also, that last second score before the half was very cool. It was so slick as I dove for the pylon that my son and his friend both leapt up and yelled when I scored. I don't want to come off as overly glowing about the game, because I've had only a bit of time with it, but boy that was fun.

I had that "this game is so exciting" experience the last time I played Madden, which was 2001.

So since I have barely played these games, how do I learn? Is there a good tutorial?

The demo has the skills trainer. Lots of drills with running, passing, audibles, defense, etc. That's as good a tutorial as any.

I played one game on default difficulty which was obviously too easy. I played as A&M against Oregon and won 31-3. With 3 minute quarters.

Yeah, I'm thinking going to All-American difficulty might be in order.

I liked it. It felt familiar and fresh at the same time.

Manziel is a freaking beast. Fun to play with and hard to stop. I did throw thee picks with him, though. But then, I tend to do that.

I like how it breaks down the receiver/DB match-ups on the fly. It gives you a good idea of where you want to go pre-snap, but you still can't force it. And it is cool that the game gives you the numbers of who the offense has put in the game.

Can't wait to start up a dynasty!

I've now played 3 games. Well, nearly 4 since I used Michigan against OSU and needed a 4th OT to win the game.

My enthusiasm is tempered a bit, but still pretty strong. There are some funny things happening in this game on occasion. Notably, the press coverage on outside receivers is really goofy at times. The receivers make a move around the CBs, then get a phantom bump that they often can't escape in any reasonable amount of time. It completely takes them out of the play on many occasions. And while I like that occasionally one will see a player fall on a defender and not be whistled down, I saw one play in OT that took that to new heights with "Maxton Briller" falling onto about 3 Michigan defenders before finally getting up and scrambling about (and eventually getting his head knocked off...).

Still, there's a lot that's enjoyable about it. Even the instant replay of the play of the game, which involved an overhead view of a ball moving down the field intermittently with absolutely no players on the field. It followed the right track of the game-winning TD and even cast appropriate shadows!

Also, the commentary is now officially stale. And the crowd noise is not really much different. They still don't have that right.